Car theft Qld: Toyota LandCruiser listed by insurance providers as most stolen car in Qld in 2024
Car thefts in Queensland are soaring and the number one vehicle being nicked by a new generation of hi-tech thieves may surprise you.
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The most stolen car in Queensland last year has been revealed, as well as the areas where thefts are more regularly taking place.
Data provided from major insurance providers has revealed that the most stolen car in Queensland is the Toyota LandCruiser.
A popular four wheel drive, second-hand Toyota LandCruisers can easily fetch over $50,000, while newer models can easily cost over $100,000.
Data from RACQ shows they received 1,459 claims for car theft across Queensland, with the most common vehicles namely the Toyota LandCruiser, Toyota Hilux, and Ford Ranger.
The regions with the highest claims were Townsville, Cairns, Brisbane, and Logan.
According to RACQ Insurance’s claims data, Townsville recorded the highest claims frequency with 126 car theft claims, followed by Cairns with 102, inner city Brisbane with 99 and Logan with 131.
Notably, the number of car theft claims across Queensland last year decreased, with the 2024 figure of 1,459 down from the 2023 figure of 1,628.
RACQ chief executive (insurance) Trent Sayers encouraged vehicle owners to remain vigilant and hide their car keys and be mindful of where they park their vehicle.
“The best way to protect yourself against car theft is to protect your keys and store them in a safe place out of reach and sight of potential thieves,” he said.
“Don’t leave your keys lying around in an easily accessible location such as a table near the door or a key hook, and don’t tag your keys with identifiers like your name or address.
“Wherever possible, try to park in a garage, gated driveway or secure car park. If that’s not available, choose somewhere well-lit and well-populated to reduce the temptation for opportunistic thieves.
“Make sure that whenever you leave your vehicle, your windows are up, doors are locked and don’t leave valuables visible in the car.”
According to Suncorp, the most stolen vehicle makes in 2024 were Toyota, Ford, Holden and Mazda, with the two most stolen models the Toyota Landcruiser and Toyota Hilux.
The highest rates of stolen vehicles across Queensland were recorded in the Townsville suburb of Kirwan, and the Gold Coast suburbs of Pimpama, and Surfers Paradise.
The figures come as twice as many cars are being stolen each year in Queensland compared to a decade ago, with the cost to victims totalling more than $100m a year.
Almost 7000 claims were made last year worth $113m, amounting to 19 claims a day.
The shocking new data shows Queensland recorded a 101 per cent jump in car theft insurance claims from 2015-24, the biggest increase of any state.
Residents also lost more than $113m to stolen cars last year, a 305 per cent jump from 2015 and the highest increase in the country.
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